Caught In Between
by Ame Pang
Summary: Sakura's an independant hard working girl. Syaoran's a handsome vampire in denial. When they meet one night at the bar, things get a little twisted. Will Sakura hate him or love him? O.O.C. VmprxGrlxHntr. SxS pairing. R&R please.
1. Beginnings

Caught In Between

By: Ame Mitsukai

Chapter 1

The school bell rang that Monday morning, signaling the start of class. Sakura Kinomoto, a 17 year old teenage girl, ran out of breath as she rushed towards the school gates of Tomueda High School. Again, I'm late for school, she thought with frustration. At this rate, I'll never hear the end of it from Otsuki-san.

The gatekeeper waited patiently as the huffing and puffing girl slipped through and leaned against the inner pillar of the gate to catch her breath. He stood there at the lock, waiting for her to run. Her layered auburn hair was wind blown from running and her eyes were a gleaming emerald in the sunlight. Her height was about half a head shorter than him and she seemed pretty fit. Probably from running to school every day being late, he thought. Once Sakura caught her breath, she once again ran towards the school across the main pathway. Poor girl, he thought. She's been late for the past few weeks. He pulled the gates across the paved path and locked them shut for the next few hours of school.

"…so please open your text books to page 120." Otsuki's voice was audible from behind the door as Sakura fidgeted nervously about her tardiness. Was he going to make her stay afterschool like last Thursday? Or would he make her read every question out loud to the class like last Wednesday? She mentally smacked herself. Either way, she thought, grimacing. I deserve it for being late all the time.

So with that, she took a deep breath and led her hand slowly to the door knob and was just about to turn it open when another boy ran towards her, panting and clutching his textbooks as if he stole them from a monstrous being. He didn't seem very familiar to Sakura and she continued to stare at him, wondering. He glanced up at her, still panting.

"Sorry for my rude behavior. I'm new here and I ended up getting lost looking for this classroom." He took a deep breath and the redness in his cheeks started to fade. "I'm Matsu Nishido." He smiled childishly.

Sakura relaxed instantly and smiled as well, remembering her own manners. "I'm Sakura Kinomoto. I'm pleased to meet you." His smile suddenly made her feel warm inside. She didn't know why exactly, but it did and she wasn't planning on letting that feeling go.

"Well I guess we're both late, huh? Otsuki-san's going to punish us isn't he?" He shuffled his textbooks around in his arms, trying to get comfortable. She didn't move, but continued to study his face. He had neatly-gelled black hair that was shorter around the sides and longer at the top and front, light brown eyes; lighter than the usual Japanese person, his smile was charming, although childish, and he was about a head taller than she was. He caught her staring eyes. "So are we going in or…?" Matsu cocked his head a little to the side and grinned.

Sakura blushed deeply and stuttered lightly, "O-of course we're going in." She rushed her hand to the door handle, turned the knob and pulled the mahogany brown door open. And there, standing before her, was Otsuki who was in the middle of a lecture about the history of Japan.

"Well, well, Kinomoto-san. So you did decide to join us today. I'll have to think of a punishment later. And who is this young man with you?" One eyebrow rose as he eyed Matsu with an accusing look. Sakura whipped her head around to look at her new-found friend and opened her mouth as if to say something.

"Oh uh," Matsu shuffled his textbooks nervously. "I'm new here and I got lost trying to find the classroom." He cleared his throat and looked at Sakura. "And Kinomoto-san here helped me find it. So please don't punish her." He bowed his head slightly in apology, for being late or for asking to relieve Sakura, neither of them knew.

Otsuki thought about it for a moment, and then let it pass. "Yes, of course. She was helping a new student after all." He cleared his throat. "Well then, young man, would you care to come up and introduce yourself?"

"Uh, of course Otsuki-sensei." Matsu replied, embarrassed. He made his way to the front of the classroom and bowed his head quickly and raised it again. "My name is Matsu Nishido. I just transferred here a few days ago. It's nice to meet you all." And with the last word, he bowed his head again.

Otsuki-sensei looked slightly irritated standing there with a great grimace set on his lips. Time was a wasting for his history lecture. "Yes, yes. Thank you Nishido-san. You may have the desk next to Kinomoto-san's." He waved his hand to the back of the class and picked up his textbook to continue on with this lesson.

Sakura and Matsu shuffled to the back of the class and took the seats that were empty and settled down for their lesson.

"Thanks, Nishido-san. I thought I was going to stay after school again." She whispered, opening her textbook. She smiled at him once again and he smiled back. Wow, she thought. He's much nicer than some guys I knew in the past. I think I'm going to like this.

"Oh, please call me Matsu if you'd like." He whispered back. "And no need to thank me. I'd do anything for a friend." A few moments passed and he was doodling on his notebook.

"Otsuki-san's really scary looking." Matsu muttered. "He keeps glaring at me like I did something wrong."

Sakura giggled. "He's scary all right. I've been late for his class every morning and he doesn't give any mercy. He makes people who are late do chores after school or after class and it's not fun at all." The light brown-eyed boy sitting next to her grinned childishly again and they both turned their attention back at their mean teacher's lecture.

oOo

The lunch bell finally rang and the hallways were suddenly filled with Tomueda students who were eager to get some food into their empty stomachs. Sakura and Matsu were chatting happily together as they walked down to the first floor towards the near-full cafeteria

"So Sakura, why were you late anyways?" Matsu casually looked at her with his lazy grin.

"I was…working late. I'm always working late. I work after school and I have to cram my homework at the same time." She replied as they lined up with food trays. She didn't mind telling him about the stuff she had to do after school, but every time she thought about the reason why she had to do them always stung at her being.

"So you work somewhere for so long that you even have to cram homework? You seem a little young to be working so long. Don't your parents work?" They sat at an empty table and muttered "itadakimasu" before they picked up their chopsticks.

"Well…" Sakura grimaced again. Should I tell him? She thought. He seems nice enough though, it's not like he'd make fun of me or anything. "I left my home. My parents were complete idiots, in my point of view. They never appreciated my work, my care, or anything. It was always 'Do this, then do that. No you can't do that or this.' And so forth. So because of that, I left when I was 16 and went along with life by myself." She poked at her food, still grimacing. Matsu noticed immediately that he asked something personal.

"Oh, sorry Sakura, I didn't know it was that personal. Excuse me for asking." He frowned and looked into her eyes. She blushed and shook her head vigorously.

"No, don't apologize. I'm okay with it, I mean I'm living just fine now. I can support my needs and go to school, except be late in the morning. I'm fine with you asking. Don't worry about it." She smiled at him and tried to pull a smile at his lips as well.

"I don't want you to feel as if I'm a nosy person. I'm just very eager to make friends, since I'm new. I don't want to sound like a stalker or anything." He shrugged and started his childish grin. He took a bite out of his dumpling.

"You're a great friend. Trust me, I've seen worse." Sakura rolled her eyes and glanced at the table from across the room where there was a bunch of teens chatting noisily. It was the "rich" group. Their families owned fortunes of money and yet they liked to come to such a public school. When she first came here, she thought it was probably so they could rub their stupid money into people's faces and bully them.

Matsu looked where his new friend was staring and noticed the difference in the people from the other table. They both frowned at the sight.

"At least I don't look like that weird guy over there." He chuckled, pointing at the "rich" person with the odd haircut. "He looks like he came from a Dragon Ball Z episode." Sakura slapped his arm playfully and laughed with him. It seemed that a very beautiful friendship had awakened that day.

oOo

"Syaoran, why don't you come over to my place today? I'm sure it'll be much more interesting than being here all night long." A beautiful blonde leaned against the counter next to a very lean and tall young man. Her eyes were an enticing ruby as her gaze trailed over his body, which was stiff and hunched over his glass. He seemed very tense.

The bar smelt faintly of fruit cocktails and alcohol. A small jazz band was on stage playing a very mellow slow song as other people buzzed and chatted quietly at their tables. Now and then, the clink of cups would sound as the bartender placed clean empty glasses on the table

Syaoran turned his head just slightly to glare at the woman with matching colored eyes. He took a deep breath and sighed harshly through his nose, looking back at the counter suddenly interested in his hands as they clutched the beer glass.

"Come on, honey, we have all of eternity…" The blonde raised her hand to place on his arm, but within a flash, Syaoran was out of his seat and walking towards the exit. Before he fully opened the door to leave, he turned and glared at the blonde, hearing her hiss in discontent.

"You can't always run, Syaoran. You're one of us now." She flipped her hair back and took a sip from her drink, her eyes still holding his glare.

He took another deep breath. I have to keep under control, he thought. A breeze entered the bar as the door opened fully, and his figure disappeared in the darkness.

"Why the hell did this have to happen to me?" he muttered.

To be continued…

Should I keep going or not? I might not have time to finish this, though I've actually taken the time daydreaming and stuff to figure some things for this story. No matter, I'll try to make it good.

Ame.


	2. Encounters

Caught In Between

By: Ame Mitsukai

Chapter 2

The orange streams of the sunset light poured through the window beside Sakura's desk as she worked on her homework. Her pencil tapped on the piece of paper lightly as she thought about her current question. But with a hefty sigh, she ended up dropping the writing utensil to get up and change for work. Another night of work.

It wasn't as if Sakura didn't like her work. In fact, she enjoyed it. Every night, she would sing at the bar and even if there were people watching her, it always brought a sense of calm in her being. It made her feel happy to know that her talent was acknowledged by her viewers.

Which dress should I wear tonight? Which song should I sing? These thoughts coursed silently through her head as she picked through her closet looking for an outfit that suited the season. In a few minutes, she picked out a black skirt that looked a little like a petticoat and a dark red lady's dress shirt. Sakura, you look so tired, she thought to herself. A sudden wave of sadness passed through her then. If I keep this up, I'll probably end up not sleeping forever and turning into some nocturnal being. Like a Vampire.

Sakura blinked and stared at herself in the mirror then she suddenly giggled.

"No way is that going to happen. How can I think like that?" She applied some light make up on her face and spent the next 10 minutes looking at herself, looking for anything on her face that needed to be fixed.

The phone suddenly rang and she hurried across the room to pick it up. "Hello?" Her voice didn't sound surprised.

"Hello? Kinomoto-san? I was just wondering if you're still up to coming down to the bar tonight." A man's voice was heard over the receiver.

"Yes, of course Tanaka-san. I'll be there soon." Sakura knew it was him who was calling. He called her almost everyday to ask if she would be singing that night.

"Thank you so much. You won't believe how many people have asked me to have you sing again at the bar. They absolutely adore you!" his voice sounded so excited, it was hard to believe he was the owner of a bar. His blabbering made the young singer blush. "Well I'll see you tonight. Thanks again Kinomoto-san!"

"Alright, bye." Sakura hung up and looked out the window towards the last beams of orange light of the setting sun. She stood there until the sun disappeared completely before grabbing her keys and jacket, putting on her shoes then heading out the door.

xXx

Syaoran let out another sigh as he sat at the bar counter swirling his drink in its glass. The longest day of his life—if he even had a real life anymore—continued to drag longer. Forever. He couldn't sleep, he couldn't eat very much. No matter how much he drank, he couldn't get drunk. The only thing it did to him was slither down his thirsty throat and make him ache for more. Nothing seemed to make him falter.

He didn't drink blood. He had been tempted, but he drank alcohol all the time to keep that temptation bearable. He didn't want to be the monster that he was; a monster that never slept, that drank blood; a monster that could kill innocent beings. The very thought sickened him.

"Sir, would you like another?" The bartender pointed at his glass. Syaoran looked irritated but nodded.

The bartender swooped his glass off the counter top and filled it with some more of the alcoholic drink, placed a cherry on top of the red liquid and handed it back to him. Syaoran avoided his eyes as he accepted his glass back and took a sip. The added fruit made it taste sourer than it should be. Damned senses, he thought bitterly. Even my taste is enhanced. And he knew why: these better senses allowed the average vampire to be able to hunt. The smell and taste of human blood would lure the creature to want more.

The bartender noticed his sour expression and looked uneasy. Syaoran felt it at once, glancing at the other person's face, and then composing his own to calm the atmosphere between the two of them down. At once they both relaxed and the calm mellow mood returned.

It was like the bar was at last night, Black Rose, except it wasn't full of his kind; it was full of _humans._ Like what he used to be before that incident. The room held the stench of blood and alcohol, but after all the cocktails he'd been having, he could bear the desire to be thirsty. There was a singer and some musicians on stage playing a calm tune as everyone either sat and talked to each other or went up to the tiled floor to dance lazily with the melody

After a few minutes, he downed his drink and let out another sigh. There were so many people here. The scent of blood was overwhelming at first, but after feeling the sting of alcohol in his nose and throat, he felt more comfortable being around it. But at that moment, he heard the entrance open and a new delicious smell wafted into the room, surrounding him and drowning him, making him crave with his thirst.

Syaoran swallowed. He had to get out of here before anything happened. The smell was so delicious; it was like a beggar smelling freshly made food at a grand feast. He would want to feast on who ever had such rich smelling blood. Abruptly standing up from his sitting position and startling the bartender, he turned briskly towards the exit, trying to turn his head and find something for his eyes to be distracted with. Anything, he thought desperately. Anything. The smell was getting stronger as he walked and he froze in his place. This definitely wasn't going to work.

Sakura was walking up the same path as Syaroan in opposite directions, distracted by the singer on the stage. She neared closer with no intention of slowing down, and within seconds she ended up bumping into him by accident. The succulent scent of her blood exploded in his mind.

"Oh!" Sakura gasped in surprise as she rebounded off of him and staggered backwards, her jacket flying to the floor. Oh my god, I'm going to fall, Sakura thought, panicked. Instinctively, she tried to bring her arms back to help break her fall but something cold grabbed onto her arm and snaked around to her back. Within seconds she was standing upright with something cold wrapped around her and leaning against something—or someone very stiff and tense. He smelt very nice, and he was very cold.

"I-I'm sorry, I should have watched where I was…" her gaze met with Syoaran's and she stopped midsentence. His eyes were a glowing ruby red and his expression was so fixed on her face without moving that it frightened a little. His face was very close to hers letting out a heavy breath from his mouth that caressed her face and she felt dizzy with weakness. It smelt so enticing. His hair was a little messy and chestnut colored and his features were so fine. If Sakura hadn't been so shocked and scared at that moment, she would have thought that this person was very handsome in some odd ways.

Syaoran was just barely holding on. He concentrated on her features: her eyes were a beautiful glittering emerald green, her cheeks were slightly flushed, her expression was dazed, as if she was looking at someone she had loved. Her lips were pink and slightly parted with surprise. The fact that he held himself back from feasting on her pained him to the very core. He was too close yet he didn't want to let go of her.

They continued to stare at each other, standing there in an embrace. Sakura's cheeks started to feel hot. What if someone's watching us? She thought. Her face felt hotter as she continued to gaze into his mesmerizing red eyes. But almost at once she realized that he was in pain. The expression behind his blood colored orbs proved it.

Sakura felt bad immediately. "Are you okay? I'm sorry for being rude and bumping into you." Her brows furrowed and her eyes showed concern.

Syaoran blinked, and then looked away, letting the tasty smelling girl go. He drew his hands in fists at his sides trying to keep the temptation away. He trembled a little.

Sakura noticed. "Did I do something wrong?" She felt like comforting him. The stress that he showed made her feel uneasy. "Here let me buy you a drink." She walked quickly towards the bar and ordered. A few minutes later, she brought it back to Syaoran, who didn't move from his position.

"Here…" Sakura offered him the glass and within less than a second the glass disappeared from her hand and the oddly handsome man drank the whole thing. He grimaced, clutching the glass in his clenched hands and muttered a thanks.

"Why don't we sit here? We shouldn't block the entrance path." Sakura took a seat at an empty table and gestured for Syaoran to sit down as well. Once he did, although he did it very rigidly, she relaxed.

"My name's Sakura Kinomoto. I'm really sorry about bumping into you." She bowed her head in apology.

"Don't apologize. It was my fault for standing there." He muttered and turned away from her, still grimacing.

"No, please don't say that. What's your name? Maybe I can make it up to you or something later. I have a performance later though so I can't really do much right now." The young singer placed her elbows on the table and rested her chin in the palms of her hands.

"I'm…Syaoran."

Sakura cocked her head to one side and gazed at him. "Don't you have a last name? I don't mean to be rude though." She waved her hands in front of her as if not to be offensive.

"I don't belong anywhere anymore." Syaoran looked at the table, still trying to concentrate on the alcoholic sting in his throat. A random waitress holding a tray of drinks passed by and he grabbed one swiftly without her noticing.

Sakura sat there, amazed by his action. Was he that talented and fast? He caught me before I fell and he grabbed that drink without the waitress feeling a thing, she thought. That's amazing. He drank the alcohol and felt her amazed stare. He turned to look at her and she looked away, blushing.

"You don't have a family to belong to? Well I guess you can say I feel the same way." She smiled sadly and faced him. Her smile shocked him. It made him feel something inside of him. What was it about this girl that made her so special?

"What do you mean?" He grabbed another drink from another waitress passing by, once again unnoticed.

"Well…" Sakura bit her bottom lip and paused for a moment. Why was she suddenly talking about her personal life so much? But it wasn't as if this Syaoran was a bad person. "I left my parents because they were a pain to be with. They wanted me to do things that they wanted, not what I wanted. So now I live alone and I sing here to get money to support myself." She looked over to the singer on the stage. She was a pretty woman, the kind that would get all the men swooning over her.

"I see. I'm looking forward to hearing you sing then." Syoaran turned to face her and turned the corners of his mouth up a little. He hadn't smiled in ages. Again, what is it about this girl that makes her so special? He thought, frustrated.

"Oh, I don't know what to say." Sakura blushed again. As she turned back to watch the singer on stage, out of the corner of her eye she noticed him clenching his fists on the table.

"You…" He muttered, "You smell very good…" The look he had in his eyes frightened her again. He looked as if he was about to devour her whole being.

"Why uh…Thank you. I'm very flattered by your compliment…" She stuttered, looking away from his stare. He's handsome and nice, but for some reason, there's something about him that makes the hairs of my neck stand, she thought.

Syaoran chuckled and Sakura looked back at him.

"Wha…What's so funny?" She blushed once again.

"Oh it's nothing. You're just so beautiful when you blush." He leaned forward so that their faces were moments apart. Sakura could feel his breath tickle her face and her eyes started to droop. She felt so drawn to him. His breath was inviting. Just a little closer, She thought. And we would be--

"Oh, Kinomoto-san! You're here! You'll be up in about 10 minutes. Which song would you like to sing today?" Tanaka-san was walking down the isle towards their table with his arms open as if he was going to hug someone. There was a huge grin on his face.

As fast as it had started, Sakura blinked and was put out of her reverie. She stood and faced her boss for a light friendly hug. She smiled warmly at him, but her heart was beating so fast. I swear, she thought. He was just about to kiss me.

Once their little greeting was over, Sakura walked down the carpet isle with Tanaka to get ready to perform. She glanced back to Syaoran one last time and he was watching her, smiling a little. She smiled back and felt very euphoric.

_I'm looking forward to hearing you sing._

To be continued…

Well I think that's going to work. If you have anything to suggest to me, please review. :D

Ame


	3. Bitten

Caught In Between

By: Ame Mitsukai

Chapter 3

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The song I've used in this chapter is called "Daisuki Dayo" By Otsuka Ai. I DO NOT own this song whatsoever. I'll post a link on my profile to the song later if you're interested.

"Excuse me; may I have another glass please?" Syaoran gestured his empty glass towards a nervous waitress who had been serving him for the past few minutes.

"O-of course sir, but…that'll be your 8th drink in a row. Are you feeling alright?" The waitress' shaky hand took his glass and stood by his table to see how ill he looked. And to her surprise, he looked as gorgeous as ever.

"I'm fine. Just give me another glass." He sighed as he watched the poor stunned waitress stumble down the isle to get his order. Once she disappeared, his attention was taken by the stage that was covered by the curtain. Anytime now, Sakura would be singing on stage and for some reason he seemed very eager. Maybe he was just feeling sorry for her because she was alone, like him. What am I thinking? He scolded himself, running his hands through his chocolate colored hair.

"Sir? Here's your drink." The waitress was back and placing the cold glass on the table in front of Syaoran. "If you uh…need anything else, I'll be around." She muttered.

He only nodded, still looking at the closed stage and the waitress walked away again. Then, when he was about to turn his gaze away to take a sip of his beverage, the curtain opened and a spotlight was centered on the stage where a small feminine figure stood in front of a microphone. The small band was still on stage in the background, starting the opening music of her song.

At once, everyone in the bar was silent as they focused their own attention to the stage where this very beautiful girl stood. Her auburn hair shone beneath the light and her eyes were a happy glittering green. Her skin looked pale under the light as well, making her seem like she was glowing.

The opening of the song consisted of a piano and the cello. After a few moments, Sakura's lips opened and her voice was heard.

_Nandaka anata no koto  
Omoidasu no mottainai yo  
Atashi dake no mono ni shite okitai kara  
Nandaka anata no koto  
Omoidasu no yada yo  
Datte hitori de niyakete hazukashii yo_

Her voice was light but it wasn't diluted. Her words were clear. He could feel the euphoria resonate from her body as she sang. Her expression was relaxed as she sang with the slightest smile visible upon her lips.

_Tetsuya de kaettekite tsukateru noni  
Dakko shite kurete  
Yume no naka ni itemo wakatta yo_

Anata ga koishikute koishikute  
Kore ijoo dooshiyoomo nakute  
Anata ga koishikute koishikute  
Zutto zutto daisukidayou

The last few words stunned him. _Daisuki dayou._ The words were vaguely familiar and they stung his chest. Where had he heard those words before? He grabbed the glass on the table and drank from it hastily. Why was he feeling this?

_Shitteta? ano yoru ni ne  
Futari de doraibu ni itta toki  
Baiku no ushiro zaseki de negatta koto  
Shitteta ano yoru ni ne  
Futari de miageta hoshi zora ni  
Anata to atashi no shiawase ga mieta yo_

Her body swayed a little to the beat as she continued to sing, immune to all the attention of everyone's eyes and ears on her. She put meaning in her singing, following every beat and rhythm perfectly as if she sang this song before. No one moved, no one talked, everyone just watched.

_Tatta hitotsu no korogatteta atashi o  
Kirei ni shitekurete itsudatte sasaetekureta_

Anata ga koishikute koishikute  
Kore ijoo hanaretakunaiyo  
Anata ga koishikute koishikute  
Zutto zutto daisukidayo 

Syaoran was still stunned as he sat their motionlessly in his seat staring at the stage where Sakura just finished her last words of the song and giving a big bow. Everyone was up from their seats and clapping, more than for anyone else who had performed that night. But he had to admit, her singing caught him and he couldn't understand what he was feeling.

Sakura was still on stage smiling with pure bliss and waving to the clapping crowd. The euphoria emitting off of her being brought the smell of her blood back to him and he felt nauseous with thirst. But he couldn't leave; this girl was something he had never seen before.

Once everyone calmed down and were sitting back in their seats, Sakura moved off stage to get cleaned up. She must have felt really hot under the lights and probably felt dehydrated as well. Syaoran sat there in a daze looking at the table. The words were said so sweetly, so purely. And it still reminded him of something that he couldn't quite remember.

"Syaoran! You're still here?" Sakura was skipping towards the table and sitting back on her seat. A huge smile was lit on her face and her cheeks were red with excitement. She reminded him of a little girl who was praised for doing a good job.

"Of course I am. I told you I'd be looking forward to hear you sing. Besides, your performance was beautiful." Syaoran leaned forward to place his arms on the table, giving his small twitch of a smile. His ruby eyes were set with her emerald ones. The excitement almost literally danced in her orbs. He had never seen someone so purely happy before.

"I'm glad you stayed. For some reason it felt really good knowing that you were here to listen to me sing." Sakura shrugged sheepishly with her childish grin.

The handsome man chuckled. He finished the rest of what was in his glass and faced her with a sudden serious expression.

"Sakura, do you notice anything different about me? Truthfully, don't lie." Syaoran grimaced and looked deep into Sakura's eyes as she blinked countless times, confused.

"Different? You mean…well…physically?" Something pricked at her as she thought about is question. Syaoran just nodded, still holding their gaze.

"Uh…Your eyes are red. But I assumed you wore contacts because it's like the today's style kind of thing, you know?" Sakura tried to laugh, but it ended up forced and very uneasy sounding. She swallowed. He didn't move.

"They're not contacts. They're real." That was the only thing he said. She waited for him to continue, but he didn't seem to want to. Fear slithered through her being.

"You smell very nice? I'm not saying that every other guy smells bad but, you smell nice in a very different way…" Sakura twiddled her thumbs on her lap, watching them flit back and forth. She could feel the heat rise on her face as she talked.

"Hm. Anything else?" Syaoran felt the fear and unease coming off her body.

"You're cold. Very cold," Sakura muttered, bravely bring her gaze up to meet his own. She didn't want to feel scared of him anymore. He wasn't a bad person, she was sure. If all the things that she listed were what he was, then she'd accept it. He said he didn't belong and Sakura didn't intend to make him feel that way with her.

Her sudden bravery astonished him. She was strong emotionally. Her eyes explained everything. He had to give her credit for that. Her eyes were holding onto his with certainty.

Syaoran smirked and stood up slowly, feeling her eyes follow his movement. He walked across to Sakura's seat and offered her his hand. Her eyes looked at it confused, and then took it with slight hesitation, her brow furrowing.

"Come." He said quietly, pulling her to her feet. Once she was fully standing, he led her up the stairs to some private rooms for parties and couples. Suddenly, Sakura felt uneasy again. Why was he leading her to one of the rooms?

They entered an empty room. It was about as big as a bedroom but it had 2 sofas on either side with a glass coffee table in between them. The balcony doors were open to let in a gentle night breeze.

"Why are you bringing me here?" Sakura felt his hand slip from her as he walked towards the balcony doors. His scent wafted towards her and she felt drawn to him involuntarily.

"Do you understand why my eyes are red? Why I smell so good, why I feel so cold?" Syaoran relaxed his shoulders as he closed his eyes and felt the breeze against his face. It may have been cold for the average human, but to him, it was warm like during the summer against his already-cold skin.

Sakura stood there frozen, trying to figure out any hidden meaning behind his strange question. Why was he all those things that she described?

"Honestly, I don't know. But whatever you have, if it's a disease or if it's just your thing or kind of style, I don't care. I'd want to be your friend either way. I don't like how you say you don't belong." She walked up to him and stood by his side facing his statue-like figure.

But before she knew it, everything was a blur and she was gasping in surprise against the wall with Syaoran pinning her down, his hands wrapped around her wrists, placing them against the wall between her head, their faces just inches apart. His breath splashed her face with that unbearably good scent that sent shivers down her spine. His eyes were concentrating on her and she could read the hunger emitting from them.

"You don't understand, Sakura. I really don't belong. I'm dangerous." His voice was husky and very attractive. There was a hint of frustration and anger in his words. Sakura's breathing was getting uneven. Very slowly, he placed his face against her neck and smelled her delicious scent. It was so riveting he felt he was about to go insane.

The skin contact made her gasp loudly, his cold lips just setting where her pulse was in her neck.

"Syaoran…You're not dangerous. If you really tried, you wouldn't hurt anyone, I'm sure of that." Sakura's voice was anxious but she was true to her words. He lifted his lips from her neck and let go of her left wrist to place on the side of her face, both their eyes set on each other.

"Sakura…" he whispered, before placing a deep but cold kiss against her warm trembling lips. Electricity coursed through her body as he pressed against her body and kissing her with such a passion that she couldn't handle it. Her knees felt weak, her mind was full of sudden desire. His lips left her own, but continued a trail down her jaw to her neck. They weren't so cold anymore; her lips had warmed them. She gasped for breath, not able to register what was happening.

Syaoran was losing control and he knew it. But she smelt so delicious he couldn't resist his senses anymore. He had never craved for something so much before and now that what his thirst wanted was right there before him, he couldn't help but dig in; to feast.

His fangs pierced through her skin and blood seeped into his mouth. The feel, the warmth, the taste, was so overwhelming. He drank as it leaked, savoring her very blood.

Sakura felt the pinch against her neck and her mind was spinning, literally. She started feeling so dizzy that it frightened her. There was pain against her skin and she couldn't bear it anymore.

"S-Syaoran!" She whimpered; her voice trembling and weak.

Immediately, as if snapping back to reality, Syaoran pulled back abruptly, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, the blood lingering on his tongue. His eyes widened and stared as his first victim slid against the wall and collapsed on the ground. He swallowed forcefully and quickly picked Sakura's limp body in his arms, frantically finding the wounds on her neck and licking the holes over completely, sealing the skin to keep her from bleeding to death.

He shook her lightly, his eyes frantic. "Sakura….Sakura!" He shook her until she moved slightly, her eyes opening weakly. "Sakura I'm so sorry. I didn't know I was going to…You were just…It was…" Syaoran was at a loss of words. It was his fault that this girl might die. He knew the venom was in her blood. He didn't know if it was enough to change her or kill her, but he was a monster. All the hard work of keeping himself composed had fallen away from him.

"Syao…ran…" She tried to raise her arm but her strength refused. She just felt too exhausted. Her eyes glimmered dimly.

"Sakura…I'm sorry. I told you I was dangerous. I told you." He mentally hit himself. How could he have done this horrible deed? Her eyes closed again. Her breathing was dangerously slow. The taste of her blood was still present in his mouth and he felt the temptation again.

Slowly, he lifted Sakura's body up into his arms and placed her on one of the sofas. He placed his lips near her ear and whispered quietly.

"I'm sorry. I'll leave for the safety of others. I won't come back. I really don't belong here." Syaoran composed himself and headed for the balcony.

Sakura just barely heard him. She forced her eyes open a little and tried to reach for him. She whispered. "Don't…go…" And with that, he disappeared in the night and Sakura fell into a deep darkness.

To be continued…

I wonder how to start off the next chapter. It might take a while. Sorry guys. :o

Ame.


	4. Change

Caught In Between

By: Ame Mitsukai

Chapter 4

Sakura's P.O.V.

_Sakura…_

Syaoran's voice. His sweet, soft voice. Where was it coming from? I was surrounded in darkness, my body was tingling. Where was I?

_Sakura…_

"Where are you?" My name called by his voice echoed in my head. The darkness shifted and I was falling. I couldn't scream; his figure was right there above me, watching me fall with sadness in his ruby orbs.

_I'm sorry…_

"Don't be sorry! Syaoran wait! What's going on?!" I reached for him with all the strength that I could wield. But the wind was rushing passed my face and he disappeared. I continued to fall. My eyes widened as something stabbed my chest. The feeling sent sudden fear through my being. I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing could be heard. In moments, I felt the ground plunge against my back. Sheer pain ripped through my soul…

My eyes flew open and I threw myself in a sitting position as fast as I could. My eyes felt sore and my head was thumping with pain. I looked around quickly, flicking my head left and right, up and down. This definitely was not my apartment.

My breathing was heavy and forced, as if I haven't been breathing for ages. My lungs were also sore. Actually, now that I've thought about it, my whole body was sore. I relaxed my shoulders and back, and they felt heavy. My head still thrummed relentlessly and that was all I could hear. My mind refused to think back on what happened; everything was fuzzy.

Thump, thump, thump.

I didn't know where I was, I didn't know why I was hurting everywhere, and I didn't know why I was having such a strange nightmare. What in the world was going on?

I waited a few minutes to calm myself down. Surely, there were answers to all these questions. I just had to wait for the right time. My breathing slowed and became normal, the thrumming faded a little, and I was able to close my eyes and just concentrate on relaxing my whole body.

But unluckily, the sound of thudding foot steps made my body tense. My mind was attacking me, telling me to defend myself from any threat that may be making that noise. For a moment, I was even surprised I could hear the footsteps so clearly. How was that possible? But my brain pushed all thoughts away except for the fact that something harmful might be coming my way.

The sound of the door knob turning made my eyes flit towards the sound. I could see every detail of the door knob, the lights shining off of it, the small lines of age on the stainless steel. Every detail, I noticed, that I could see with my eyes were sharpened. I could see details that I could never see before. What in the world?

That door opened and the smell of blood wafted softly in the room. My stomach constricted and I felt like vomiting. I hated the smell or the look of blood. Why did I smell it now? I stopped breathing through my noise immediately.

I watched, the hairs standing on my neck, my eyes widening with blank fear. I didn't even know why I felt so scared.

Matsu walked through the door with a blank expression on his face, which quickly turned into alarm as he noticed me sitting up with my eyes staring at him and my teeth bore at him. I heard the hiss escape my mouth. But the moment I realized it was Matsu, I fixed myself and covered my hand with my mouth.

"Well, I see you're awake now, Sakura. How do you feel?" He placed a small basin with warm water and a towel on the table next to the bed I was sitting on, ignoring my previous action.

"Uh…" I swallowed, still trying to avoid breathing through my noise. "Yeah, I'm okay, I think. What happened?" I was definitely still curious about how I ended up here.

"You were really lucky. My friend dragged me into the same bar we found you in. I refused a lot, but he insisted. We were going to use one of the private rooms to chat and when we came through the door, we noticed you sleeping on the couch." Matsu looked out the window with a pained expression on his face as he continued. "I walked over to wake up you, but your face was so pale, and you were cold and sweating. Your breathing was slow and so was your pulse."

I frowned. I honestly couldn't remember anything about that night. That's definitely very strange. I was about to ask if anyone was with me, but then I shot the thought down because something flashed into my memory, although very fuzzy. A tall figure, brown hair, lovely red eyes. But that couldn't be possible; he was just a figure in my dreams. This Syaoran character seemed so unreal. I couldn't recall seeing him or talking to him, so why did I have a dream about him?

"Sakura? Are you okay?" Matsu leaned over automatically to touch his hand on my forehead to check if I had a fever. But, as if instinctively, I moved from his incoming contact. My back was against the wall before I knew it and he stared at me, mouth hanging, shock present in his light brown eyes.

As I eyed him fearfully, I realized at once that any human being wouldn't be reacting this way to this kind of gesture. I really wasn't getting the hang of this…

"Oh my goodness, I'm sorry. I was just…" I blubbered, the heat rising to my cheeks. Confusion still filled my mind.

"No, Sakura, it's okay. It was my fault for doing that. I should have asked first. I should be sorry." Matsu dropped his head and looked a little glum. I felt bad, so I decided to change the subject.

But before I could speak, my more humanly instincts told me to breathe in, and I did. The stench of blood was filling my head again. Damn, I forgot about that. I stopped breathing again, fighting the urge to gag. Maybe I should go see a doctor soon.

"Sorry but. Can I have a drink of water? My throat's really dry." I made a face and rubbed a little at my throat to emphasize my request. I felt really thirsty.

"Sure. Wait here." He stalked out of the room and closed the door. I let out my breath and breathed in again, but the smell was still there. It polluted the whole room. So before I could throw up, I got out of the bed and stumbled towards the window and opened it all the way and stuck my head out of it. Then, I took one long sweeping breath of the fresh afternoon air—

Wait…AFTERNOON?! There was no way I could have slept so long. Did Matsu tell me how long I was out for? Wasn't there school? My body spun around quickly and my eyes searched for a clock. There was one on the wall. 2:30 PM. This just get's even weirder…

The doorknob was twitching again as Matsu was about to come in. I was facing the opposite side of the window with my hands against the sill, my arms bent. I still couldn't quite register what was wrong with me. Everything was enhanced: my sense of smell, my sense of sight, and my sense of hearing…What about my sense of taste?

"Oh you're up and on your feet. You look much healthier than you were 2 nights ago." He gestured the glass of water to me and I stared at it. 2 nights ago?

I took the glass as not to be rude, but I knew my expression was of shock. "Th-thanks. Um, was I really out for 2 nights?" I took a sip of the water. It tasted so sweet in a non-sugary way, like how water would taste if you were very dehydrated. But it was so strong, that it intoxicated my senses. Maybe I'll learn to like this new change.

"Yeah, well, you did seem a lot like you were dying. I mean you looked so pale and cold. I even took you to the hospital for a check up, and even then you didn't wake up. The doctor told me you just had an odd fever kind of thing except you were, well you know, cold." Matsu shrugged his shoulders and looked to his side as if he couldn't understand it.

I just nodded and drank the rest of my water. The smell of blood started to fade away a little. I think I finally got used to the smell.

"So anyways," my friend brightened up and smiled at me as if nothing ever happened to me. "It's the weekend and you've been knocked out for a while. Want to go to the beach and catch some rays and waves?" The way he looked at me was of embarrassment and shyness. I couldn't help but smile at him.

"Sure, why not?" It had been a while since I had any good time to relax anyways.

XxX

Syaoran's P.O.V.

Black Rose was always open for the vampires. It was the only place near the city full of blood-sucking monsters like me.

I hated myself for what I did to Sakura. Even if she was alive now, it's probable that she became a vampire or even died. And it would be my fault.

"Ah, Syaoran, my best buddy. Why the long look?" Eriol, my calm-thinking friend eased himself onto the seat beside me.

Despite the fact that I was being rude, I ignored him and gulped down another shot of vodka, then slamming the small glass so hard on the table that it shattered into small, fine crystal shards everywhere around me. The light glittered off them and I blinked away from them irritably. The other vampires stared at me for a fraction of a second, then returned to their own business. I swept the shards off the counter

"Hmm, well I guess you're that upset about something. Would you care to tell me what's wrong?" Eriol didn't seem surprised at my action. I glared at him and saw the clarity and calmness of his eyes. Immediately, I felt somber and my flaring anger ceased inside my head. I hated it when he did that to me; using his god damned vampire gift to calm me down while I was in distress.

He was just one of those vampires who had gifts. Only those who were actual descendants of the first vampires ever to exist had the power. It was despicable.

"Damn it, Eriol," I closed my eyes and breathed slowly. "Why do you always have to do that to me?" I opened my eyes and glared at him. He only smiled his sly smile. That jerk.

"This time is just so that you won't trash the place. I know how rash you can be when you're frustrated." He propped his head on his hand, elbow on the counter, and leaned against it to relax and face me with an annoying smile.

I had to admit, it was true though. When I lost my temper, I tended to break things and make havoc around me. I guess I would thank him for saving my ass from a visit to the ancient ones…later.

"So…" My friend was still looking upon me with calm eyes. "Would you please tell me what went wrong that seems to bother you so much?" He thought about it for a moment, and then added, "Aside from you being a vampire of course. That, I can't help you with."

"I…" My voice hesitated. It embarrassed me to talk about this in particular, which made me angry at myself. I've vowed so many times to him, to the ancients, to everyone that I'd never drink blood. But here I sat, reveling over the fact that I have, and that I liked it. "I…bit someone." My eyes closed tight and my teeth grit together as I talked. I tried not to think about the limp body that was lying in my arms days before, her hair that smelt like strawberries, her eyes that were a beautiful green color, her singing voice that sent a wave of unknown feeling through my body.

"I see. So you've drank blood for the first time." He smiled. It made me want to punch him in the face. But I knew I couldn't. He was the only person who would listen to me and let me do what I wanted, aside from trashing things.

Eriol didn't say anything after that. I watched him, waiting for him to say something wise. But he didn't. My frustration rose again, despite the calm I felt before. Maybe I didn't give him enough details to let him figure out a solution like he always did.

"She was only maybe 17. She was young and active and beautiful. And I ended her life." I dropped my head into my hands and sighed. The air filled my lungs and flew out of my throat like a breeze.

It was silent. I was still waiting for a response. I guess he didn't have one. So I just shut up and tried not to think of anything. But that face kept popping into my mind. That care-free smile, the excitement in those emerald orbs, the smooth auburn hair, and the mellow singing voice. No matter how hard I tried to push these thoughts away, they came back stronger as if they were haunting me. God damn it.

"How long did you drink for?" Eriol's voice made my head snap up and look at him questioningly. What did that have to do with anything? I may have killed someone and he even supported me with the idea of not drinking blood. Why did he want to know how long I was drinking for?

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Irritation was thick in my voice as I placed my hands on the table. He glared at me with a look that told me the answer should have been obvious. I felt stupid under his gaze.

"Of course…" He picked up a martini glass and sipped from it. "Transformation or maybe even death would only occur if you've been drinking for more than 5 minutes." The glass didn't make a sound as he placed it in front of him to look at me.

That made me think. I was so intoxicated at that moment; I wasn't sure how long I was actually drinking her blood. My memory flashed back at the scene. Remembering her taste made me swallow my thirst. Her arms were gripping my shirt, her breathing was irregular, and her voice was weak. It was because of her voice saying my name that made me stop. I probably drank for about thirty seconds…

Then it hit me. So maybe she wasn't dead or even changed. If it took 5 minutes for anything bad to happen, then that meant she could be okay. I stared at Eriol with realization.

"I probably drank for about 30 seconds. Something stopped me from drinking very much." I decided not to tell him that it was her who made me stop. I was pretty sure a normal vampire wouldn't care if the world was exploding, drinking her blood.

"Then you don't have to worry. She probably isn't dead or hasn't transformed…much." He took another sip from his glass.

Wait a minute. Much?

"What do you mean she probably hasn't transformed much?" I demanded.

"Well even if you just drank for 30 seconds, the venom enters the blood stream the moment you sink your teeth into her skin. Surely, you knew that much, right?" Eriol sighed as if I were a naughty student who didn't pay attention in class.

So Sakura isn't dead, but transformed a little. I better keep an eye on her just in case she started killing people or something…

But I knew that wasn't the reason why I wanted to follow her around though. I was pretty sure it was because of something else. Something that I couldn't quite understand.

To be continued…

Okay I think I'm starting to mess up the story by accident. LOL. Enjoy anyways. Cheers!

Ame.


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